Interview with Coach Jim Roselando

Interview with Coach Jim Roselando on MIT Radio: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pQaDv8i_Y4

"Qi is a form of energy. Gong means work. So Qigong is a form of energy cultivation. Through still exercise you can cultivate balance and smooth the energy through the whole body. The Dan Tien will be robust, the meridians will be flowing smoothly, which will gradually realign the body. You can stand and be still and cultivate the mind, the body, the breathing, just by relaxing." 

Master Sifu Fung Chun discusses the importance of "Loose Legs & Loose Body" in Leung Jan's Gongfu!

Hello all,

 

 

I just posted a new video clip on Youtube!

 

 

Peace,

Jim

 

 

 

Pin Sun Wing Chun (new clip)

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AFH - Master Sifu Fung Chun "part four"

{Loose Legs & Loose Body}

Master Sifu Fung Chun discusses the importance of "Loose Legs & Loose Body" in Leung Jan's Gongfu!

Recently Master Sifu Fung Chun watched a Wing Chun demonstration and the practitioner clamped his horse similar to other South Fist arts. Master Sifu Fung Chun commented; "In order to handle the centerline fighting one must have loose legs".

Master Sifu Fung Chun then states "Wing Chun must Relax the Legs, Relax the Body, Relax Relax Relax....

Respect to the Late Master Sifu Fung Chun!

Enjoy

All healthy animals are relaxed!

Chipmunk Qigong

STAND

RELAX

BREATHE.

In Mindfulness, a Method to Sharpen Focus and Open Minds

From New York Times

By Alina Tugend

March 22, 2013

LIKE most people, I have my share of tension and anxiety. And I’m happy to find ways to cope that don’t involve illegal drugs. So when the term mindfulness began cropping up everywhere, I became intrigued.

Elementary school students practice it. Doctors practice it — and their patients. Prisoners practice it. There’s mindful eating that promises a healthier way of eating. And scans show mindfulness may change the way our brains function and help us improve attention, reduce stress hormones and even bounce back faster from negative information.

But, skeptic that I am, I wondered if it was being oversold as a panacea that is simple, safe and involves no heavy objects.

First, I had to figure out what exactly it is. I had an understanding that mindfulness went hand-in-hand with meditation, but also that it was more than that.

“Intentionally paying attention to the present nonjudgmentally” is the way that Janice Marturano explains it. Ms. Marturano is a former deputy general counsel and vice president for public responsibility at General Mills, and helped start its Mindful Leadership Forum in 2004. She left a few years ago to start the nonprofit Institute for Mindful Leadership.

What it’s not, she said, is only about reducing stress. Or about emptying our minds of all thoughts. Or about religion.

“People have the sense that mindfulness is something they can do by focusing on a raisin for five minutes,” said Michael Baime, director of the Penn Program for Mindfulness at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. “That is mindful practice, but it takes more than that.”

So here’s what I learned about the basic techniques. First, find a quiet place to focus your attention — on your breath or perhaps on an object. It’s not deep breathing, but rather experiencing “when the breath enters and leaves,” Ms. Marturano said. “Feel the stretch in the rib cage, without me doing anything. Can I notice when the mind takes a hike and redirect it? That redirection is the exercise.”

Perhaps you start at 10 minutes and work your way up to half an hour or 40 minutes a day. But that’s only part of the whole practice.

There’s also what Ms. Marturano calls “purposeful pauses.” Deciding that instead of thinking of a coming meeting while brushing your teeth you really focus on the taste of the toothpaste and the bristles and the water.

“Take yourself out of autopilot,” she said. And eventually expand that “being in the moment” to other parts of your life.

The idea is that over time you’ll feel more focused and more connected to yourself and others. It sounds simple, but it’s not, because it so goes against the grain of how most of us think and operate. We want to get things done, to identify and fix problems. And that’s the opposite of what mindfulness is all about.

“The way it’s presented in the media, people begin to believe it’s a magic pill,” said Christy Matta, author of the book “The Stress Response” (2012, New Harbinger Publications). “I’ll clear my mind and I’ll be peaceful and stress-free. If that’s what people think, they’ll be disappointed.” Rather, she said, “it takes time and sustained practice to experience the benefits.”

And, she said, if you go into it with the idea of reducing stress, you’re working against the very thing you’re trying to attain, because you’re aiming toward a goal. Mindfulness, “is about being present,” she said. “You have to do it just to do it. You can’t strive for things.”

While being aware of your feelings may be nice when drinking a lovely cup of tea or relaxing in a garden, Ms. Matta said, part of mindfulness is also uncomfortable feelings — not trying to change or judge them, but being aware of them. And that may not feel so pleasant.

Dr. Baime said another common misconception is that mindfulness is about learning to be happy. It’s not. Nor is it about eliminating stress. “Stress doesn’t go away, ever. That’s why we call it stress management rather than stress elimination,” he said. Rather, he said, mindfulness can “create a world where you experience depth, meaning and connectedness. You see joy and sadness more fully and settle more deeply into an authentic way of being.”

If that’s a bit tough to wrap one’s mind around, that’s O.K. Just go with it. Eventually, mindfulness is supposed to help us spend less time worrying about the future or fretting about the past. We’ll gain perspective, listen better and step back to consider more choices and make decisions more clearly and intentionally, rather than reactively, Ms. Marturano said.

But you shouldn’t assume that mindfulness is the one answer to everything. For instance, while it has been used to good effect in classrooms, it shouldn’t be used in isolation, said Linda Lantieri, director of the nonprofit group the Inner Resilience Program.

She and others have found that practicing mindfulness can increase attention and focus, and help children respond to stress in a calmer manner, but it also “needs to be part of learning concrete emotional and social skills,” she said. And although it can help with anxiety and depression, you may need to augment it with other therapies or medication, Ms. Matta said.

Is mindfulness something you can learn by yourself? There are some good books that offer guidance. Ms. Matta mentioned her own, of course, and “Full Catastrophe Living,” (Delacorte Press, 1990) by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Professor Kabat-Zinn, founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, is considered one of the foremost experts on the subject.

But everyone I spoke to said that you need to take a course and perhaps go on a retreat to fully experience and gain value from mindfulness. I realize that the people I talked to tended to teach courses, so maybe they’re a little biased. But it also makes sense to me.

Ms. Marturano, who delivered a presentation on mindfulness at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January, compared it to exercise. You can watch a video of how to play tennis or read a book and perhaps even learn to play at a basic level that way. But to get better, you need a teacher.

“You’re on a journey of self-discovery and you need a guide,” she said.

Dr. Baime’s institute offers eight-week courses, which cost $549, in which participants attend class for two and half hours a week and one full-day session, and are provided with textbooks and recordings to help meditation at home. The class members are asked to meditate for 40 minutes daily, although Dr. Baime acknowledged that wasn’t an easy goal.

Professor Kabat-Zinn’s center has a useful list to search for centers and teachers by state. Now that I know more about the potential and limits of mindfulness, I can see it as an option. And I can see why other people are drawn to it, given that we’re living in a such a fractured, information-overloaded world. We’re looking so far ahead to the next thing, we miss what’s going on in the present.

Mindfulness may not be the answer to every ill. But it may be the answer to some. And I’ll settle for that.

Santo Sigung speaks on three ancient high technology for internal art

Priceless information. Listen a few times... Find a good coach! 

Hendrik Santo Sigung speaks about and demonstrates Chinese internal art.

Santo Sigung talks about Chinese Internal Art Posture. Enjoy!

Practice makes perfect

by Kate Britton

Qi Magazine - Issue 90

Simply going outside every day to go through our forms is not necessarily going to have a marked impact on our skill level.  There is training and there is training.

Practice makes perfect, as the saying goes, but I am not entirely convinced that we can ever reach perfection.  That would imply that there comes a point when, no matter how much more we practise, we just cannot get any better.  I do not think that can be true.  I believe that if we continue to train, we will always keep improving.

There are three basic ways in which we can practise all the skills we have learned. The first I call ‘Maintenance’. This is when we simply run through the forms that we know so that we do not forget the sequences. This is necessary to some extent, especially when we are short on time. When we are learning a new form, for example, we concentrate a lot of our time on that one, which means that we have less to spend on everything else we know.  We may, then, have to just run through some of our forms quickly to keep them fresh in our mind.  Because, as an instructor, I know quite a few forms and it is impossible to practise them all every day, or even every two or three days.  But I like to make sure that I practise everything I know at least once a week.  If I leave something for two or three weeks, the detail starts to disappear, and the form begins to become blurry.  If I leave it longer than that, whole sequences begin to get lost.

The second way we can train is to practise for ‘Health’. This is extremely important, since the main reason we learn skills such as Qigong, Taijiquan and Chun Yuen Quan is so that we become healthier, stronger and more flexible. But when training for health, both our mind and our body must be relaxed. This means that we cannot be thinking too much about each move and how we might make it better. In fact, we need to empty our mind and let the movements heal our bodies.

However, if we only practise for health, and our movements are never checked, eventually your forms may become sloppy and lose definition. Finally, we need to practise for ‘Improvement’. When we do this we look at each move in detail to see how we can make our performance better. We can go over and over a short section of form to see if we can improve our posture and the framing. Practising to improve your skill is extremely important if you are an instructor. Once you start teaching you have to start running to stay ahead of your students. Just as you want to see them improve, they want to see you gaining more skill so that as the years pass you still have a lot to share with them.

So a combination of all three methods of training is necessary if we want to continue developing.

When people first join a class, there are usually some who do not practise at all between lessons, which seems a bit of a wasted opportunity to me.  We are given a very valuable gift that will help us stay healthy and mobile into old age.  Of course, if you do not practise from one week to the next, then you will have difficulty remembering what you learned the previous week. Repeatedly going backwards each time you attend class is demoralizing, especially when those who started at the same time begin to move ahead, leaving you behind. You will probably very quickly give up. But with a little effort in your spare time, even just for ten minutes a day, you can start moving forwards each week, and begin to reap the rewards to be had from these fascinating arts.

You and Your Qi

by Adam Wallace
Qi Magazine - Issue 87
Summer 2008

Your Qi is your life. Abundant Qi ensures good health and vitality, speedy recovery from illness, and quality of life. Deficient Qi spells listlessness and illness, and no Qi means death, literally.

When your Qi is full you feel comfortable inside, no matter the weather. On extremely cold days you may feel the temperature on the surface of the skin, but inside you will feel warm, so the extremities and joints do not suffer. When Qi is deficient, you can even feel cold internally on warm days. This is why the elderly fear winter especially.

Your Qi level is directly related to how you see the world and respond to it. When your Qi is full and stable you will feel balanced, vibrant and confident, with a deep sense of peace and harmony. Mental clarity, wisdom,  and mood all depend on the Qi level, so when Qi is low you will not only feel physically weak, vulnerable and insecure, but also become cantankerous, melancholy, anxious or fearful and suffer negative and confused thinking. When Qi is unstable you may experience severe mood swings, become easily enraged, or suffer manic depression (bi-polar disorder).

Many people suffer heart attacks or strokes because they are not sensitive to their Qi or do not know how to control it through regulating the breath. The attack often occurs when the body is stressed and the mind is preoccupied or ‘out of the body’. Qigong regulates and balances Qi with the mind and breath and so prevents Qi becoming overstimulated and stuck. I would wager that no one has nor ever will suffer a stroke or heart attack during their Qigong practice as they are mindful of the internal body. If they practice every day (especially twice or more), they need never worry as the effects of training last for many hours, so regularity maintains order.

Many people today complain of having no energy. They work, come home, collapse and repeat this day-in and day-out. They run themselves into the ground, literally. The way we feel, in general, is a reliable barometer for what is going on internally. Before we become seriously ill, we will generally feel an overall sense of malaise. This is a warning signal. Over time, if nothing is done to remedy the situation, we then become fatigued, burned out and run down. When Qi level is weak the immune system too is weak. So when fatigued, sickness invariably follows. Then comes the enforced rest at home or in hospital and the ubiquitous medication that must be taken until the last days of life. Medications interfere with Qi but the average person taking these medicines can be too disconnected from his body to even notice.

Your Qi level, as it is at this very moment, is the result of your parents’ combined Qi (the good and the bad), together with that gained since birth, from food, water, air and exercise/rest. (The more you exercise the body with breathing fresh air and relaxation, and without exhausting it, the more it recharges, just like a car battery.) So you can take the Qi your parents gave you, use it wisely to go beyond life expectancy or you can squander it hastily.

Everything we do in life uses Qi, so we must spend it wisely. Eating the wrong food, in large amounts, uses a lot of Qi for digestion and this results in the feeling of heaviness and sleepiness. Even breathing can waste Qi unnecessarily when it is not natural. Reading, especially at the computer, uses our Qi and weakens our vision, so it is important to take frequent short breaks in order to let the eyes recover and avoid eyestrain. Many men complain of exhaustion and their doctors cannot diagnose the problem, but Chinese medical doctors would be able to detect that they have weakened kidney Qi through immoderate sexual intercourse. People complain of symptoms but remain unwilling to restore balance themselves by making necessary recommended lifestyle changes, especially if it involves depriving themselves of pleasure.

Many patients today undergoing chemotherapy use Qigong and/or Chinese medicine to help remedy the symptoms of treatment (aching muscles and coldness in the bones) instead of using Qigong as the primary treatment. During the days they practice they feel better because their Qi level has been elevated but after the ensuing chemotherapy session they feel terrible as the treatment damages the kidneys and erases all the good Qi cultivated from practice. So, the patient takes one step forward and three steps back. No matter what the illness may be, the only way to truly recover is to bring up the Qi level so the body has sufficient Qi to combat and overcome the illness. When the Qi is not strong enough, illness gains ascendancy and ultimately triumphs, resulting in a weakened state of health or death.

The factors that determine our Qi are (mostly) under our direct control. Therefore, largely, our lives are the result of our choices.

Mentally Fit in the New Year

By CHELCEY ADAMI
Link to original article

People often forget to exercise the most important part of their body, their brain. Valley resident Maria Elena Marcello has been practicing yoga, reiki, tai chi and kung fu for years and also teaches tai chi in the city of Imperial’s recreation department. She said these activities not only provide physical exercise but also mental exercise, helping with one’s cognitive abilities and preventing issues such as Alzheimer’s.
“The No. 1 sicknesses are produced by stress so you have to really try to calm down and calm your mind,” she said.

Marcello enjoys the kung fu for the cardio-aspect but makes sure to balance it out with the more relaxing activities such as yoga.

“It’s gentle movements and believe it or not, it strengthens your body, tones your muscles. You’ll lose weight and you enjoy it because it brings you peace,” she said. “Tai chi is a good beginning for anyone making a resolution to be healthier in the New Year. You have to balance hard exercises with soft exercises.”

She added that activities such as yoga and tai chi can be practiced by people of any age. "If you don’t want to try something like that, just go for a walk," Marcello said. "Just enjoy your surroundings, look at the trees, look at the flowers, just try to relax. You have to be trying to be healthy in all aspects of your life.”

"Even if in office all day, one can take five to 10 minute to relax and mediate," she added. "Just close your eyes and relax your body, try not to focus on anything, your mind, and then continue with your work."

Ken Cohen is a worldwide renowned health educator, Qigong Master, practitioner of indigenous medicine, speaker and author. Qigong are ancient Chinese exercises, breathing techniques and meditations “used to create a full supply and smooth flow of Qi which means ‘life force,’” that serve as a complimentary medicine.

“Stagnation equals disease whether physical, mental or spiritual. We’re meant to be in a state of flow and connection,” Cohen said.

"While it’s not meant to cure every disease, it can be a powerful complimentary medicine to mainstream practices. If someone is in distress due to a relationship, life circumstances or more, then they are more likely to become ill," Cohen added.

“There’s no question that the mind communicates with the body,” he said. “If we can exercise more control over the mind, we can lessen the stresses that cause disease.”
It’s important to remember that while focusing on mental health is key, it doesn’t take the place of the physical exercise. “Some people make the mistake of thinking ‘I’m doing tai chi and don’t need to do more,’” he said. “We want both the external strength but we also want internal, or metabolic, strength.”

When taking personal control of one’s responses to outside influences, such as pollution and its corresponding breathing health issues, Qigong can be particularly beneficial.

“To the extent that you can’t control the external environmental, it becomes more important to control the internal environment,” Cohen said.

Staff Writer Chelcey Adami can be reached at 760-337-3452 or cadami@ivpressonline.com

Improve your immune system with small vibrations!

KEYS TO FITNESS 
by SHEILA YONEMOTO, PT

Qigong, an ancient Chinese exercise, benefits both health and longevity. It involves mind and body coordination to improve the flow of the body’s vital life force.

One simple way to improve your immune system is to improve salivation in your mouth. Doctors and dentists know that saliva helps reduce dental cavities. People with poor salivation tend to have more dental cavities and poorer immune function. Qigong exercise helps increase salivation. You will notice even more saliva afterwards.

Improving the lymphatic flow in the body also improves the immune system. The lymphatic system removes waste material. Sometimes, if there is a lot of material to remove, congestion occurs, resulting in swelling, heaviness and decreased immunity.

Using shaking machines or vibrators or jumping on trampolines can help move the lymph fluid. A simple qigong exercise involves doing mild shaking while standing and relaxing all joints in the body, including the jaw, so that when you shake, your teeth clack.

Imagine all of the water in your body, which is about 70% of your body composition, moving as a single unit, creating a tidal wave moving waste material out of the cell and driving in nutrition, including oxygen. Also imagine the various types of tissues gliding smoothly as separate units, unsticking any scar tissue that may have developed from trauma, infection or disuse.

Your fingers, shoulders, vertebrae, skin and muscles should bounce or move as a wave or flap like a flag blowing in the breeze. The action should appear graceful and flowing, with movement occurring at each separate joint. Care has to be taken to shake at an appropriate speed so you don’t hurt yourself.

From a qigong point of view, this is the only exercise I know of that benefits the hormonal or endocrine system. The endocrine system could be described as the “mobile” messenger system, versus the nervous systemm which could be described as the “landline.”

As a child, I watched my grandparents doing a Japanese exercise called nishishiki. They would shake their arms and legs while lying on their backs. My grandmother lived to 88 and my grandfather to 97. Later, a 92-year-old Japanese patient told me to shake my hands to stay healthy.

Even while playing sports, if a team member missed a point, everyone said, “Shake it off.” Shaking seems to lead to better health and performance.

What differentiates living from non-living things? Movement.

———

Qigong, Chinese energy classes. Try a no-impact qigong class. 

Sheila Yonemoto, P.T., has been a physical therapist for over 30 years, specializing in Integrative Manual Therapy utilizing a holistic approach. She can be reached at Yonemoto Physical Therapy, 55 S. Raymond Ave., Suite 100, Alhambra, CA  91801. Call (626) 576-0591 for a free consultation, or visit  www.yonemoto.com for more information. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of The Rafu Shimpo.

Quiet your Senses with Meditation

Qi Magazine - Issue 85 (December 2007)

Michael Tse

Meditation is very important for good health. No one can be really healthy if they cannot shut down their minds and be calm and relaxed. Many problems and illnesses begin with stress and tension. If you watch the behaviour of someone who is stressed and under tension, you will see that they are always active and cannot sit or stand still.

Even when people have some personal leisure time they listen to music and are doing things all the time. They are like a machine that is always being used and never turned off. Obviously it will eventually break down, so how can someone like that not become ill? Nowadays people do not understand that calmness and relaxation are important. Most people think that in their spare time they can listen to music, read the newspaper, do the crossword or Sudoku puzzle or watch TV and that these things will help them to relax and recharge their energy after a hard day’s work. This is wrong.

Three thousand years ago in China and India people already discovered the secret and method for longevity. It is all based on the senses, sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. All these senses use a lot of energy, so if we want to live longer we must learn how to shut them down. The method to do this is meditation.

Eye Sense

Whenever we use our eyes, either for watching TV, reading a book or playing agame, we are using energy. The longer we do it the more tired we will become and the older we will look. If you look at highly academic people like university professors, they spend a lot of time researching and reading from books or are working on the computer. They use so much energy and in the end they look tired and older. However, their hard work is for a purpose and brings them success, so for them, it is worth it. Nowadays, though, people will spend hours and hours on the internet for fun or looking up useless information and the energy they use is just wasted.

Hearing Sense

Our hearing also uses energy, although it is not as must as your eyesight. Over-using our hearing can damage the kidneys as in Chinese medicine the kidneys are related to the ears. Today people listen to loud music all the time, so you can imagine how damaged their hearing gets.When they are older they will definitely need a hearing aid and I feel sad for them. Also it means that these people need excitement, something to stimulate them. Without this excitement they find life boring. This is also sad. We should not be partying all the time as this will damage our heart by making it beat too fast. If this is the case, then we cannot be healthy because we cannot sit down and be calm. Then we will continually lose our Qi all the time.

Aside from this, when they are older, people will have to talk loudly to them. Then they will complain that their hearing is weak all because they have damaged it with overuse when they were younger.

Smell Sense

The sense of smell also has a big effect on the body. Many people like to smell nice fragrant scents. However, we can also over–use oursense of smell . If we surround ourselves all the time with pleasant, strong smells, then some of us can lose our sense of smell so that we cannot smell the scent of a simple flower. This is because we have over-stimulated our senses and this makes us feel under stress and hyper-active. Then our sense of smell becomes weak. If we can calm down and relax, then the sense of smell can come back. Our sense of smell is very important. Everything around us has a different smell:- our homes, our offices and even the country we live in has a different smell. A good smell means that the energy in that area is good. If the smell is bad then obviously the energy is bad. This can cause the people who live or work there to be healthy or unhealthy depending on whether it is good or bad energy. It also affects their luck.

Today many people talk about Feng Shui, but most of the time they only talk about or know very low-level knowledge.They only talk about external decoration but how many really understand the internal things and the energy of Feng Shui? Smell plays a big part, so we should not overuse our sense ofsmell. The more perfume we use the more our sense of smell will decline.

Taste Sense

We use our tongue to taste food. People love tasty food and many people enjoy sweets and candy. However, this is not good for the body. What we eat plays a big part in our health. In Chinese medicine we also relate to our internal organs and sour relates to the liver, bitter relates to the heart, sweet relates to the spleen, spicy relates to the lungs and salty relates to the kidneys.

Other tastes are a mixture of these five. If we only like food with one of these tastes or hate certain other tastes, then this can cause an imbalance. For example, sweet tastes are good for the spleen, but the spleen is also related to the stomach and and so if we take a lot of sweet then it will affect the stomach and if we take just a little, then it can be good for the stomach. Anything we overdo can cause a problem. Anything too strong will have an effect and weaken something else. So we should not just concentrate on certain tastes but try and take all kinds but not in excess. Sometimes we do not like bitter tastes but we should still take some.

Most people who live longer lives eat very simply and do not eat unusual food or very highly nutritious food. This minimises the amount they need to use their taste buds and so it does not exhaust the internal organs.

Touch Sense

The sense of touch is also very important. Many people like the feel of fine fabrics, like silks and linens. Also people like the feel of wood in good furniture like beds and tables. This sense excites the mind so that it cannot be calm. This contact stimulates the nerves and sometimes these can be overused, especially if we over-indulge ourselves. This too means we will lose Qi.

To save our Qi we should keep our sense of touch or feeling calm and then our Qi can settle back to the Dantian. We should not let our Qi run around our body too vigorously. In order to save Qi we must let it settle and calm down, as if nothing has happened to the body. Although everything in the body is still functioning, the heart is still beating and we are still breathing, we should slow things as much as possible.

Four Postures of Meditation

Remember, meditation is not about moving the Qi. Physical movement helps us to circulate the Qi, to use our Qi in the right way and get rid of negative Qi. During meditation we should shut down the five senses so we can settle and collect more Qi. This increases our longevity.

For practising meditation there are four postures: One is standing and we call this Zhan Zhuang, the second way is sitting in a chair, the third is sitting in lotusposition, which, in Chinese, we call Pan Xi. The fourth method is lying down, which we call ErGong. Standing, sitting and lying are all different physically but all have the same principle which is to settle the Qi and store it in the Dantian.

Zhan Zhuang

When we do Zhan Zhuang there are different levels:- high position, middle position and a low position. Lower is more difficult and higher is easier.When we stand in a lower stance we call this Ma Bo Zhan, which means horse stance standing position. This demands a lot of leg strength and so it is not easy to do for long. However, nomatter which position we choose to stand in, we need to keep the body in a line. The top of the head at the Bai Hui pointshould be vertically in line with the Yongquan points on thesoles of the feet.  

In the high and middle positions the Huiyin point between the legs also lines up with the Baihui point. This we can see if we check our posture from the side. About the hands,we can hold these in various positions and use different gestures, such as at the Middle Dantian or the Lower Dantian.These areas connect with the areas of the Qi. Different gestures involve the palms and the Laogong Points or the shape of the fingers and this directs the Qi to go a different way at first.However, if we stay for long enough, then the feeling is thesame for all of them. The will be Qi is strong and runs all overthe body following the proper channels.

In the low position we should try and keep the thighsparallel to the ground. In this position the Huiyin point will notline up with the Baihui and Yongquan. This low stance willdevelop the lower legs more, particularly the calves. The feetshould be shoulder width apart, the eyes should be open, but not focused. We should keep the mouth closed naturally andbreathe in and out through the nose.

Generally, when we practise the low stance we will notstay for too long and when we are tired we should stand upand change to a mid or high position. When we feel strongagain we can go back down again. So we can repeat low, highand middle stance for quite a long time. Generally, peoplecan stand one to two minutes in the low posture and somemore senior students five to seven minutes. The low stancewill not make you heavy and stiff but actually the opposite, asit makes you feel lighter. In Chinese we say, “Light Gong (XingGong) training is based on heavy training.” This standing exercise can also help a lot of leg and knee problems.

The height of the middle position can vary, but the Baihui, Huiyin and Yongquan points must line up vertically together. The feet can be wider than the shoulders. The eyes and breathing are the same as in the low position. The eyes must be open because in this exercise there is a lot of Qi that needs to be released out through them. We do not focus so it means we are not using our eyes to see. Again, the hand positions and gestures can vary, for example, Laogong points facing each other or facing the ground, etc. It has the same meaning as the low stance.

Sitting Meditation

When meditating sitting on a chair, we should not lean back against the back of the chair like we do when watching TV. We should sit forward towards the edge of the chair and inthis way we minimise how much contact we have with thechair. There are many ways and gestures we can use for thehands. You might just place your hands on your thighs so that the Laogong points touch the Liangqiu points or form a hand gesture which is also fine. The feet should rest on the floor and the knees and toes should line up vertically, but the feet must be flat on the floor.

Lying Meditation

The last way of meditation is lying down. The most common way is to lie on your back and rest your hands on your Dantian, this means that the Laogong points cover the Dantian. The head should be raised up a little using a pillowso that the head is higher the feet. This allows the Qi toflow down to the Dantian and to the feet. The downside of this position is that it is easy to fall asleep, so generally I donot do much lying meditation. Another way is to lie on yourside and put one hand close to your head and the other hand on your thigh. This creates a Taiji symbol with the body.

All these four ways to do meditation are the same inthat they allow us to calm down, shut down our senses andstore our Qi. However, standing positions develop the bones and lotus position concentrates the Qi in the upper body more which is why the legs feel numb because the circulation ha sbeen blocked somewhat. In the end, no matter which one we do, we need to be patient and relax the body. The longer we can meditate the better we will get and the more we will enjoy its benefits in the future.

Qigong for Digestive Problems

Qi Magazine - Issue 85 (December 2007)

Today, many people have digestion problems because they do not get enough exercise, eat improperly or have too much stress. Some have all of these factors and so it is understandable that they will have illness.

Our bodies are meant to be maintained and looked after but often we neglect to do so until we have an illness which tells us something is starting to go wrong. We know we need to service our cars regularly, changing the oil and topping up brake fluid and water or coolant. Every so often we need to have something more serious done like replacing old brake pads or a worn tire as we know that otherwise it could be very dangerous and cause us to have a serious accident. Most of us though, do not give the same regard to our health until it is too late. When the big problem comes, the time for worry is already gone. We can only try to limit the effects of the problem and start to build up our Qi and immune system through Qigong exercise and meditation.

The first thing we should work for is the bones and so doing some standing meditations like Zhan Zhuang or Horse Stance is ideal. In the beginning you may only be able to stand a minute but can slowly build up to 5, 10 and 15 minutes or longer. You should feel good when you are standing although at first you may find the mind wandering and that you are impatient to be still for so long. If you can conquer this impatience, then you can start to develop yourself. The longer you stand (within reason), the more Qi you will gather which will "wash" the internal organs and make you stronger.

Sometimes it is the most simple exercises, like Wuji stance, that will give us the most benefit. However, in the end, it is all up to us as we are the ones who have to work for our own Qi and healing.

With kind regards,

Michael Tse

Relax - Practice

Qi Magazine | Issue 75 | March 2005

by Helen Massy

When we start to relax we notice how tense we are. How and when these tensions crept in is an individual matter – partly hereditary, social conditioning or self-imposed attitudes. All these tensions arise out of a sense of need to protect or defend this ‘island’ that we call ‘me’. Undoing the tensions can feel scary. We may feel vulnerable, off-balance and yet gradually freer and more comfortable with ourselves. The things that upset or disturb us, causing us to become tense or defensive, are good teachers. They show us where our beliefs need reassessing.

There can be a sense of safety in being good at things: survival of the fittest, top of the class, praise, accolade, prestige. Yet what happens when this is threatened, if we become ill or fall out of favour? Can we take it in our stride or do we react with fear, anxiety or anger?

Why not just relax and enjoy life, whatever our level? It is so much more important to feel at ease and comfortable with ourselves and our imperfections. There is no need to strive to be different or better than others, just to be ourselves – natural and at ease. This is possible at times, though for some people these times are rare. Which is why we have developed practices like Qigong, Taiji Quan and meditation to bring our awareness into the present, so that we can appreciate our daily lives and live them to the full.

We can notice our ways, habits, thoughts, preferences and beliefs and see through the illusions that we construct about our lives. Gradually we understand that the defences we hold so close to us actually limit our vision. And there is no way we can speed up the process by more ‘doing’.

I do not advocate that we give up practice or that we practise less often, simply that we watch for those subtle thoughts and tensions that diminish our sense of self and set us on the path of striving. Such thoughts pull us out of the present and relaxed awareness. We know in our hearts when enough is enough and also when we are driven to practice through tension, rather than choosing to practise and develop our skills at a natural pace. Being happy with ourselves as we are (and others too) brings us right into the present. Then we can relax and find inner freedom. This is translated into trust in the moment, where gravity can work with the body to create a sense of buoyancy. There is no need to fight or struggle to hold ourselves upright. Instead, we can yield to the pull of gravity and let the Earth give us support. Then we can open to our surroundings and the Heaven Qi around us. The resultant posture is one of confidence and expanded awareness in the present. In terms of meridians, the Stomach meridian takes energy down to the Earth and the Spleen meridian, in turn, gives lift to the body. We also take in energy through breathing (Lung meridian) and as we breathe out, we can let go of the moment, thoughts, ideas etc (Large Intestine meridian). Other meridians are involved of course, but my studies of Movement Shiatsu with Bill Palmer, interpreting Traditional Chinese Medicine from a Western perspective, show that these are the main ones for the embodiment of grounded confidence and an open mind or radiance. 

It does not matter about the theory as much as practising, to discover for ourselves the benefits of letting go, so that we can be present, relaxed and aware, poised for action. Then our actions reveal more about us as we interact with others and so the process continues. And there is no one way to do this! We each have our own approach to life and so we need to understand how to harmonise and to find inner peace and tranquillity. No one can do it for us. The responsibility is always ours – to see through our beliefs and conditioning and to find real peace and harmony with all life.

Breathing is key to internal arts

By Glenn Gossling

Excerpt from Qi Magazine

Issue 70, January 2003

In the West, the difference between internal and external is also further confused by another complementary pair of terms – hard and soft. A hard art is often seen as one that uses big fast movements and is physically demanding where as a soft art is one that is slow and gentle in as clear cut or as simple as people may think. The answer is that movements do not have to be soft and gentle to be internal and conversely just because a movement is soft and gentle does not automatically make it internal. A slow movement can be tense and if movements are ‘too soft’ they can compromise the posture and structure of the body. It is the principle of have three foundations:

1. Posture

2. Breathing

3. Relaxation

It is not the external appearance that counts but what is going on inside. In Kung Fu you are aiming at an ideal of correct posture, with relaxed breathing and movements throughout. Certainly, this presents a challenge to most people. It is not easy to do a form at full pace, without tension in the muscles and finish with your breathing as relaxed and calm as if you had been sitting meditating, but if you practice enough it is possible.

It is possible because the correct posture allows you to breathe more deeply and use your body’s energy more efficiently. It is possible because a correct use of the body’s structure means that all the body’s movements are interconnected and not dependent on the isolated tensing and relaxing of muscles. In fact this is key to the difference between an internal and an external style. The internal style is not tense. Its movements can be big, fast, hard, and powerful but they are not tense and they do not compromise the internal structure of the body.

Because the muscles are not tense they do not use so much energy or oxygen. Usually tensed muscle sets are working against each other making the movements rigid, which is a double waste of energy and oxygen. This is not what is aimed at in Kung Fu. The movements should be powerful and fluid. The aim is to maximise your energy and oxygen consumption so that your breathing can remain relaxed, because again the act of breathing itself can usea large proportion of the body’s oxygen.

All internal arts have a focus on breathing. This is perhaps because the lungs are one of the easiest of the internal organs to control. It is a lot easier to regulate your breathing than it is to control the secretions of the spleen for instance. The lung is the most ‘external’of the internal organs. Posture and relaxation can be used to affect the breathing and once the breathing is brought under control it will have a beneficial effect on the other internal organs. This is the principle we see in most forms of Qigong. The same is true of Kung Fu with the difference that at the same time it also challenges the physical body.

None of this is easy. To develop the body’s conditioning to a level where ‘hard’ forms can be performed ‘softly’ using large ‘external’movements' with internal energy requires a lot of work. If it didn’tit wouldn’t be called Kung Fu.

Meditation, Benefits of Going Within

Meditation, Benefits of Going Within

submitted by Chava Quist

Kamwo Staff Contributor

Meditative techniques have always been an integral part of Chinese medicine, culture and preventative health practices. The practice of Qi Gong (pronounced ‘Chee Gung’ and loosely translated as the ‘cultivation of life energy’) is a gentle moving meditation that goes back over 4,000 years. Qi Gong practice incorporates slow movements, without muscular strain, and breath work, to become aware of and strengthen Qi energy flowing within the body. The oldest known Qi Gong sets were called Dao Yin and mimicked the movements of animals and the elemental forces of nature, reflecting their Daoist roots.

Many branches of Qi Gong practice have been established throughout the generations, focusing on preventative health practices, martial arts, and calisthenic exercises. Whatever the school of thought, the objective has been the same:  soft movements aimed at supplementing the Qi energy of the body by gathering from  the endless energy of the cosmos as well as learning to control the energy within one’s own body. There are countless chronicles of Qi Gong masters learning to harness energy flow to such an extent as to be able to heat their skin, throw someone down without a touch, or live beyond normal years.

Whether these stories are fact, fantasy, or a mixture of both, Qi Gong and other meditative techniques are undoubtedly good for our health. We’ve all read of the surprising benefits of meditation, i.e., better sleep, mental clarity, regulation of stress hormones, just to name a few. Recent studies find that regular meditation practice can help the body to repair chromosomal telomeres, the destruction of which is a key component in aging and illness.

But, it is often unclear where to begin or how to stay focused when something so simple becomes challenging. Follow these tips to keep going strong:

Beginners Mind:  Recognize that we all have different styles of learning, and that concept applies to meditation as well. Visual learners may choose to practice meditation in nature or simply in a special place in the home while keeping the eyes open. Auditory learners may do well with guided meditation productions or group classes in which participants follow the cues of a leader. For those of us who are more kinesthetic in nature may have more trouble sitting still for extended periods walking or other moving meditative practices like Tai Chi or Qi Gong may be the best option.

Monkey Mind: After the body has settled into position, the next challenge is always quieting the mind. Realize that meditation is a long term practice, and some days will be more difficult than others. When intrusive thoughts continue to well up, do a body scan, checking for any areas of tenseness. Breathe into these areas and focus on relaxing those muscles or improving posture or positioning. As these thoughts arise, observe them and let them go, saying internally “Thank you for your input,” or “Thank you, I’ll focus on that later.” Styles of meditation that include chanting a mantra often give the practitioner a point of engagement from which to break out of the internal landscape.

A Little Too Relaxed: Many have a problem of becoming too physically relaxed during sitting meditation and fall asleep. Respect that your body may need more rest and try to get more sleep. It’s important to be alert during sessions of meditation to achieve the most benefit, so find five minutes during the day when you feel most alert and your energy is high.

Experiment with mindful moments throughout your day to discover your best form of meditation. You could make your meal, your commute, or washing the dishes a moving meditation. Whatever works best for you, make it your own.

Efficacy of Medical Qigong - Standing Meditation

Qi The Journal of Traditional Eastern Health & Fitness
Volume 17, No. 2
Summer 2007 


Storing Qi in the Dantian 
     While all forms of meditation can provide a state of quiescence, standing meditation offers the mutual benefit of calming the spirit and augmenting qi to strengthen physical constitution. Ancient Chinese masters developed specific meditations to effectively promote the movement of qi. Once qi is stimulated and meridians are cleared from stagnation, the opportunity for further qi cultivation and storage arises by storing it in the lower dantian (field of elixir).
     The dantians are energetic spheres of qi, and through standing meditation and qigong training, one can develop and integrate more qi. The lower dantian is regarded as teh root of life that unites the kidneys with the mingmen (gate of destiny) located at acupuncture location du-4. Not only does cultivation of the lower dantian rekindle primordial qi, it also regulates the liver and chong meridians.
     Under further magnification, the Three Treasures: earth, man and heaven, are understood with the earth representing yin, the heavens representing yang and man being the conduit of both. In parallel to jing (essence), qi (energy), shen (spirit), the jing is associated with the lower dantian, the qi is associated with middle dantian, and the shen is associated with the upper dantian. With qi being the instrument for integration of jing and shen, a practitioner can be a means of expression for earth and heavenly qi.

Uniqueness of Standing Meditation
     The concept of standing meditation stems from primordial Daoist philosophy. The idiom, "as above, so below" illustrates an individual as a microcosmic reflection of heaven. With standing meditation, practitioners can root into the earth and draw qi into and through their feet. Simultaneously, qi from the heavens filters down and enters through the bai hui (acupuncture point du-20) at the top of the head.
One goal of standing meditation offers the ability to to enhance the flow and assimilation of yin and yang qi. Heaven, the cosmos, is considered yang. The earth is considered yin. By drawing up the earth qi from the feet and attracting heaven qi from the stars, moon, sun and planets via the bai hui, an amalgam of universal qi is gathered and stored within the lower dantian.
     With standing meditation, a practitioner can optimally augment the current of qi because the entire length of the person can be capitalized to harness the most flow of qi from the feet to the head. This standing position "takes maximum advantage of an energy factor called 'potent gradient', which determines the strength of the polar field in the human energy system between the Yang pole at the crown of the head and the Yin pole at the soles of the feet." In other words, the more distance between two opposite forces of energy, the more likely qi can be cultivated.
     The gateways for these two opposite poles of energy are bai hui and yong kuan (k-1), the acupuncture location on the bottom of the foot, is another noteworthy qigong location used for allowing qi from the earth to enter and exit.

Proper Posture and Breath
     Qi can be activated via three essential foundations: proper posture, conscientious breath, and guided visualization. In China, many of the Medical Qigong masters and doctors have a solid foundation in martial arts, specifically nei gong, meaning "inward training". It is no coincidence that proper posture, through breath, and clear mental focus remain fundamental training techniques in martial arts, taiji and medical qigong. During standing meditation, incorporation of these basics permits the practitioner to optimize the confluence of qi from the heavens and the earth.
     Proper posture provides the foundation for optimal flow of qi. Accurate alignment of bones, muscles, tendons and fascia allows the most advantageous way for qi to move.
Increased movement of qi frees energy obstructions; this may manifest in sudden jerking or spiraling of the body, head, arms, legs or spine as congestion of qi is cleared from the meridians.
     Correct body structure, from the feet upward, pave the way for maximum benefit from standing meditation. The human body is a tuning fork, therefore, proper posture begins at the foundation with the feet shoulder-width apart and parallel to each other. Become aware of yong kuan, one can imagine and ultimately feel a slight tingling or sensation of heat as yong kuan beings to open and receive the earth qi.

Breath
     Breath is used to coordinate the individual with his or her jing and shen. Breathing should be even and full, yet without force. By means of proper breath and attunement within oneself, a practitioner can then direct the breath to harmonize with the environs. This integration provides further cultivation of qi to be stored in the lower dantian. Inhalation and exhalation is through the nose. The breath needs to be smooth, gentle, and deep, inhaling all the way down to the lower dantian.

Standing Meditation
     Start standing meditation with the awareness that one is a conduit of heavenly and earthly qi. Have the intention of sinking deeply into the earth, drawing the earthly qi up through yong kuan: "the deeper into the earth you go, the more the energy will come up". The more your body relaxes down into the earth, an equal and opposite energetic response will occur with the earth's qi pushing upward while a sensation of lengthening the spine should occur as the head is considered to be a beautiful pearl being suspended by a string from the heavens above.
The knees, slightly bent, should be aligned over the feet. If knees are locked with legs completely straight, the qi tends to bog around the knees. Hindering free flow, this "tension in any area of the body restricts the structural system as a whole." Also, the knees should not bend beyond the plane of the tips of the toes.
The hips are relaxed with the coccyx dropping downward to straighten the curvature of the spine. The slight tucking of the buttocks lets the qi flow better through the ming men area of the lower lumber. This is a common area for qi to stagnate.
     The abdomen should be relaxed and prepared to receive the gentle even inhalation. The shoulders and elbows should feel loose and heavy to allow the qi to clear any energy obstructions. The eyes are half closed to keep the cultivation of qi inwards. The tongue rests on the upper palate behind the teeth to connect the ren and du meridians. The shoulders should be relaxed as the qi draws up the base of the occiput, this important region is known as the jade pillow. To improve fluidity of qi movement, the chin should be slightly tucked to allow the qi to flow smoothly up the du meridian.
After the qi is drawn up and over the head along the du merdian, upon exhalation the qi is guided down the ren meridian. The qi cascades down the front of the body, ultimately filling the lower dantian. To further supplement and tonify the lower dantian, swallow and excess saliva down to the lower dantian. In closing the standing meditation, place both hands with laogong (acupuncture point pericardium 8) onto the lower dantian.

Precautions for Medical Qigong Standing Meditation
     Some basic guidelines for standing meditation are used to avoid qi deviations and leakage. Prevent exposure to wind, as it scatters the qi. Also beginners should not practice standing meditation during weather extremes--thunderstorms, earthquakes, typhoons, hurricanes heat-waves, as the receptivity to extreme imbalances in nature can occur during meditation. Avoid loud and startling noises because they can disperse the shen. Allow adequate space before and after standing meditation from eating, intercourse, or bathing. And finally, do not practice when ill or fatigued.

Article by L. Francesca Ferrari, L.Ac. DMQ, DTCM (China); Associate Dean of Medical Qigong Science at Five Branches Institute, College of TCM Dean of TCM Theory International Institute of Medical Qigong; 80th lineage disciple of Maoshan Daoist Monastery in China. 

Coach Roselando's Soft Qigong Sayings Over the Years

Remember the 

3 GOLDEN KEYS: 

Posture, Relaxation, Breathing

Head up, sensitivity at the crown point (bai hui)

Head suspended from above 

Straight spine

Slight bend in the knees

Let the body relax onto the ground

Let the Flesh hang off the bones

Hold the hands as if you have cotton between the fingers

Ankle, Hip, and Shoulder

Posture supported by the Yang parts, let the Yin parts sink.

Stance is like the Eiffel tower.

Slight curl of the toes, weight on outside blade of the foot.

Chest is hollow like the inside of a Coke can.

Breathe in thought the nose slowly, 

breathe out through the nose more slowly.

Sip the air.

Deep soft breathing below the belly button.

Breath in, let the body slightly open---

Breath out, let the body slightly close.

Relax the face, the jaw, the shoulders, relax the chest, the armpits.

STAND, RELAX, BREATH

Meditation: Stretching of the Mind

Excerpt from Qi Magazine | Issue 69 | December 2003

By Michael Tse

Today many people are interested in Yoga because it is good for the body and mind, but Chinese also have stretching and meditation for the mind and body. Both India and China have a long history of health and culture, so we both understand how to develop the body and mind

Meditation is very important in health. Today we cannot shut our thinking off. To be peaceful, to be calm and not bother other people, then close the eyes, close the mouth and sitting still is the way. However, many people cannot do this. Our lives are so busy now. Ask yourself when you have time to do completely nothing at home. So we must force ourselves to do meditation in the beginning as we are not used to being still. In the beginning, sitting meditation is very good and most people will be comfortable for this. It is much easier than starting with full lotus.

Meditation is mind training. We know that when we close our eyes, we will still keep thinking a lot, but we have to force ourselves to stay there with the eyes closed. It is just like running. It is hard but we have to finish the journey. In the beginning, you might find you will move the body a lot: changing position, scratching at an itch, sometimes even wanting to go to the bathroom, but that is alright for beginners. We all go through this. Later, you will get used to it and it will be easy to go from five minutes to half an hour, from uncomfortable to be comfortable, from many thoughts to no thoughts. This is the training of meditation. Because your mind is empty, this is why you become open to receive any messages. The longer you keep this emptiness, the higher level you will reach. You will find your memory is clearer and your judgment more accurate. You will be able to listen and speak better and your vision will also be clear. In the end, you will become more wise and some people can even develop some psychic potential. I find that people who do not do meditation or find it difficult to meditate will get older quicker. Therefore, meditation is very important for longevity. Daily stretching of the mind will lead us all to live longer and more healthy lives.

Principles of Qigong Practice

by Adam Wallace

Qi Magazine | Issue 64 | Dec 2002

Success with Qigong depends on following certain principles. Failure to do so not only diminishes the positive long-term effects but can even cause unwanted side-effects.

Qigong trains the mind, breathing, and body (posture) so these are the three essentials. The mind must remain calm and clear with a positive attitude. This is dependent on sinking the Qi to the Dantian, where it is stored and developed. If Qi remains in the upper body you may feel pressure in the chest, causing difficulty with breathing, which leads to anxiety. If it remains in the head you will feel pressure, and suffer headaches or insomnia, and find total relaxation impossible to attain. Only when Qi is stable within the Dantian do you feel comfortable and balanced.

Without proper breathing Qigong is merely stretching exercises, and the benefits are limited. Generally, breathing is through the nose, which connects with the Dantian, facilitating deep respiration and sinking of Qi. The mouth should remain closed to help reconnect the Ren and Du channels (broken at birth) and reform one unbroken channel, Xiao Zhou Tian (Small Heavenly Circuit). A maxim of Chinese medicine also states, “All disease enters through the mouth." The nose filters the air and warms it before it reaches the lungs.

When the back is straight the internal body can relax. The Baihui point (at the crown of the head) and the Wuyin point (between the legs) should form a straight line. This smoothes the Chong channel (running through the very centre of the body), which connects with the Dantian. Chinese medicine states, "If the posture is not correct, the Qi cannot flow freely. If the Qi does not flow freely the mind cannot become tranquil. If the mind is not tranquil the Qi will disperse.”

The body’s fluids belong inside the body, especially the vital substances such as the blood and semen. These essences are the foundation of health; there is no spirit without vitality, and no vitality without essence. Physical exercise which causes dehydration, through profuse sweating, is contradictory to Qigong theory, and even excessive bouts of crying leave a person feeling exhausted.

For the best results, Qigong should be practised at regular times (so your body becomes accustomed to the routine) and at the same place (as you create a Qi field which benefits your practice). Ideal times are early morning (when yin energy changes to yang) or in the evening. These hours are more conducive to Qigong as the air is cleaner, the energy is calmer, and the environment is quieter. 

Persistence is the key to success. This requires self-discipline. It is said that Qigong masters practice 24 hours a day, which is not to be taken literally but means that even when they are not exercising or meditating they are following the principles (i.e. maintaining a calm mind, deep breathing, and good posture) whether at work or at home relaxing, while walking and eating, etc.

Qigong training means to test your Qi and occasionally experience adversity. This makes the body stronger internally and enables the body to adapt to changing situations. Too much comfort makes the body weak and dependent on certain conditions. Begin in small amounts and increase as your body becomes stronger. Between 3 and 4 a.m., when most people are sleeping, the body is at its weakest. If you can practice at this time you will find it beneficial and your level will improve. Also it is vital to cultivate good moral character. You must train with a good heart and a pure mind. Benevolence, humility, honesty, and other virtues must be maintained. Over time Qigong does improve the student’s character and nature, but a bad student (one who cannot give respect or is selfishly motivated etc.) without strict guidance will never develop a high standard.

You should never be impatient for quick results as this causes restlessness and anxiety, which is contrary to the principles and therefore impedes your progress. There are no short-cuts. Qigong is an evolving process, not a quick fix like a weight-loss or body-building programme. The hardest lesson is to just to relax, and let everything come naturally in its own time. Also, even if your time is limited you should never rush your own practice. Save your energy, using it only when necessary, and balance rest with activity. If you always follow the natural way, maintain a balanced and positive mental attitude, and adhere to the principles then you are assured success with Qigong which is a long life spent in good health and happiness. Qigong is more than exercise: It is a philosophy, a way of life.

Qigong in the News: International Business Times

By IBTimes Staff Writer | October 18, 2011 6:58 PM EDT 

Stress and anxiety may often cause pain in your stomach, according to reports.
Here are a few suggested meditation techniques, that may relieve any pain that lasts more than a day or so.

• Guided meditation. Sometimes called guided imagery or visualization, with this method of meditation you form mental images of places or situations you find relaxing.
• Mantra meditation. In this type of meditation, you silently repeat a calming word, thought or phrase to prevent distracting thoughts.
• Mindfulness meditation. This type of meditation is based on being mindful, or having an increased awareness and acceptance of living in the present moment.
• Qi gong. This practice generally combines meditation, relaxation, physical movement and breathing exercises to restore and maintain balance. Qi gong (CHEE-gung) is part of traditional Chinese medicine.
• Tai chi. This is a form of gentle Chinese martial arts. In tai chi (TIE-chee), you perform a self-paced series of postures or movements in a slow, graceful manner while practicing deep breathing.
• Transcendental meditation. You use a mantra, such as a word, sound or phrase repeatedly silently, to narrow your conscious awareness and eliminate all thoughts from your mind.

• Yoga. You perform a series of postures and controlled breathing exercises to promote a more flexible body and a calm mind.

There are many types of meditation and relaxation techniques that have meditation components that don't result in people having to resort to a number of costly methods to fight stress and anxiety.